ESPY Award nominees 2023: Complete list of players, teams for all of the ESPYs voting categories

From the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the 2023 ESPY Awards are going to have a different look. There won’t be a host for the first time in the show’s history, although there is still a long line of presenters scheduled to appear.

Among those presenters are NBA legend Dwyane Wade, LSU star Angel Reese, and WNBA icon Sue Bird. There will also be plenty of nominees in attendance, including Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson, and Jamal Murray.

There are many nominees, both athletes and teams. Among them are MVPs and champions, not to mention some key performances such as LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record and Rose Zhang’s win at the Mizuho Americas Open.

Then there are the best athlete nominees, featuring the likes of NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, AL MVP Aaron Judge, and 2022 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

MORE: Watch the ESPY Awards live on Fubo (free trial)

It’s going to be a jam-packed night featuring a wide swath of sports. Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2023 ESPYs:

ESPY Award nominees 2023

Best athlete, men’s sports

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Lionel Messi, Argentina

Best athlete, women’s sports

Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski
Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
Iga Swiatek, Tennis
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best breakthrough athlete

Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Angel Reese, LSU Women’s Basketball
Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners

Best record-breaking performance

Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Breaking a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis, which dates to the 1800s
LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories with her 87th win
Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix, breaking the record for most wins in a season

Best championship performance

Leon Edwards, UFC
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Rose Zhang, LPGA

Best comeback athlete

Jon Jones, UFC
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Justin Verlander, New York Mets / Houston Astros

Best play

Michael Block Hole-in-One
Justin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century
Ally Lemos with the perfect corner to tie the National Championship game (1:38)
Trinity Thomas Perfect 10 tying the all-time NCAA record

Best team

Denver Nuggets, NBA
Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA Football
Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
Louisiana State Tigers, NCAA Women’s Basketball
Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
Vegas Golden Knights, NHL

MORE: What does ESPY stand for?

Best college athlete, men’s sports

Zach Edey, Purdue Basketball
Duncan McGuire, Creighton Soccer
Brennan O’Neill, Duke Lacrosse
Caleb Williams, USC Football

Best college athlete, women’s sports

Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma Softball
Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball
Izzy Scane, Northwestern Lacrosse
Trinity Thomas, Florida Gymnastics

Best athlete with a disability

Erica McKee, Sled Hockey Team
Zach Miller, Snowboarding
Aaron Pike, Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country Skiing
Susannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing

Best NFL player

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best MLB player

Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Best NHL player

Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins

Best NBA player

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Best WNBA player

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
Candace Parker, Chicago Sky (Current Las Vegas Aces)
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Current New York Liberty)
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces